Water scarcity presents an increasingly urgent challenge with global implications for the production of irrigated vegetables. Among these crops, tomatoes stand out as one of the most widely cultivated. Given their vulnerability to water stress, it is crucial to ensure efficient and sustainable water management for tomato irrigation. This study aims to explore the varying capacities for drought avoidance, drought acclimation, and drought tolerance among three local and three commercial resilient tomato varieties in response to water stress and re-watering. We subjected tomato plants to either two brief periods of water stress (WE1) or one extended period of water stress (WE2), followed by rehydration, as evidenced by the measured stem water potential (Ψstem ≈ -1.6 MPa). Physiological and biochemical parameters were analyzed to understand how different tomato varieties respond to water stress. Our results did not reveal significant differences in the response to water stress among the varieties that could be attributed to their origin. Once the plants were rehydrated, they quickly regained their original values, with no statistically significant differences compared to untreated plants. An assessment of lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity, phenols, and flavonoids revealed that only during the second episode of water stress in WE1 plants or at the end of the prolonged water stress in WE2 plants did water stress trigger an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which attacked membrane lipids and resulted in oxidative damage. However, after rehydration, tomato plants returned to normal values of oxidative parameters, indicating the absence of irreversible damage. Although the severe water stress did not compromise the viability of the plants, all treatments and varieties exhibited a predictable and substantial growth inhibition. In conclusion, the different tomato varieties studied displayed similar responses to water stress, primarily characterized by inhibition of gas exchange processes and heightened oxidative stress. Nonetheless, none of the plants suffered irreversible damage from this stress, as they fully recovered their normal physiological and biochemical values following re-watering. The whole work can be download at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108529
Descripción del dataset
Original data for the paper, in a excel file with several sheets.
1. Metolodogía (empleada para la recogida o generación de los datos)
Data were obtained in an assay of tomato in a greenhouse.
(2024-01-23)
